Running offers a lot of benefits like enhancing cardiovascular health, mood, and even overall well-being. But unfortunately, it can sometimes cause injuries to the joints, such as the hips.
Hip pain is quite familiar among runners and it causes some different reasons. It’s simple for the hips to become tight or rigid. This can make them less flexible in pressure, leading to strain or stress. Ultimately, this can cause a lot of injuries such as chronic hip flexor pain.
If you are suffering from hip flexor pain after running, walking or by any other way, hip flexor stretches and some other popular and effective workout can be a helpful treatment. Stretches can help enhance hip flexibility as well as strengthen the muscles.
In this article, we will briefly describe how to treat hip flexor pain.
How to Fix Hip Flexor Pain
When it comes to understanding how to fix hip flexor pain there are several things you can do such as stretches, resting, wearing a wrap, applying an ice pack, and taking OTC pain medication.
Take Rest and don’t Panic
Give yourself some rest so that the hip flexor muscles can begin healing on their own. It is definitely one of the best things you can do.
When you are resting your hip flexor muscles you need to avoid doing certain activities for a while like running or any sports that can cause you to strain your hip flexors again.
Wear A Wrap
Wearing a compression wrap is one of the best things you can do to get rid of the hip flexor pain. When you wear a compression wrap or bandage around the hip flexor it will quickly reduce the pain you’re experiencing.
The wrap helps reduce pain by decreasing the swelling you’re suffering from and also by speeding up your healing time by boosting tissue healing.
Apply An Ice Pack
Applying an ice pack on the injured area for at least 30 minutes can definitely help a lot. When you apply an ice pack it provides you with some quick relief from the chronic pain in your hips as well as surrounding areas.
For this ice pack treatment to be effective, you should apply it every 2 to 4 hours.
Applying A Heat Pack
Just like an ice pack, applying a heat pack to the injured area helps reducing hip flexor pain through increasing blood circulation and decrease any swelling or rash in the pain area.
If you alternate between the ice pack and heat pack frequently all day then this can have the best result by boosting your natural healing process.
OTC Pain Medications
If the pain you’re feeling in your hip flexor muscles is somehow mild then taking certain pain medications can help a lot.
Hip Flexor Stretches
Before doing any stretches or exercises, it’s a good idea to consult with an orthopaedic doctor. If your orthopaedic doctor allows you to do this then you should do it. Otherwise don’t do it.
A couple of these hip flexor stretches include:
Seated Rotation Stretch
Sit on the ground with your legs directly, facing ahead. Pass over the right leg on the left leg and gradually twist towards bent right leg.
Next, place the left elbow on the bent right knee. Glance over toward the left shoulder and carry on the stretch for around 30 seconds and then repeat on the other side.
You should try to perform up to four sets on every side, 7 days a week.
Knee to the Chest
Lay down on your back and extend your legs straight. Bend the left knee gripping left shinbone with both hands.
Pull the left knee toward the chest as you can do safely. Do the stretch for around 30 seconds. Repeat it on the right side again.
For the best results do a total of 4 times on both legs every day in a week.
There are a lot more exercise and things to do but those items mentioned above are the best way. Slowly the pain and tightness of your hip flexors will go away, and you can return to living your daily life like you’re accustomed to.
